Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-12-16
The MARSHES OF MEXICO.
Duck Shooting Among the Floating Gar
dens of the Aztecs.


dens of the Aztecs.
Vast marshes stretch out in every di-
rection, dotted with immense ponds-the
duck preserves of Mexico. This region.
in olden days, was the bosom of the
broadcast of the Aztec lakes. After the
construction of the great Spanish drain,
only water enough was left TO breed ma
laria and attract water fowl.
These ponds are rented to the Indians
at fabulous prices. who mainly subsist
upon the harvest of ducks which they
gather with all the regularity of a wheat
crop. 1t is estimated that 800. 900 an
nually load the market of Mexico. The
Indians are actuated by no love of sport,
but from stern necessity; and while the
slaughter involves little skill, it is unique
and one of the features of the country.
They erect a sort of internal machine
with three tiers of gun harrels-one level
with the water. one slightly elevated. and
the third at a still greater angle. They
employ from fifty to 300 muslet barrels,
which they hide in the logs. floating
them among the marsh grass near the
waters edge. These are exploded, some
times by fuse and sometimes by cleo
tricity. The lower tier is discharged at
the birds while they are sitting, and the
second and third tiers are fired in quick
succession as they rise During duck
season this wholesale havoc takes place
several times a week, and nets these
thrifty Indians from 400 to 600 birds per
shot
The marshes and causeways were COW
cred with a picturesque thrOng, on foot
and horseback, the entire tribe, men,
women and babies. They seemed to
have no regular method of distributing
the plumber; but so soon as the smoke
cleared all plunged forward and secured
as many as they could pick up. For an
hour the causeway leading to Mexico was
lined with a duck laden procession. Tied
to rancheros saddles, hung on poles.
dangling with the little mahogany babies
upon the backs of Indian mothers. Like
all the good things in life, the distribu-
ton was an uneven one, and some could
go to market with their gains while
others would still go hungry. One little
fellow, clad in a scant shirt and broad
smile, trotted along with only a duck S
head as his portion. Never mind! he
will grow into the capacity of a whole
bird by and by. We naturally questioned
why these silly coveys return to the same
death trap from year to year. and learn
that there are myriads of savory eggs
called agayacatl, deposited here by an
insect, which some declare a musQuitO
others designate as fly, The ducks are
not alone in their appreciation of this
dainty, for the Indians gather them also
and make them into a tortilla, which
they declare delicious. The taste re-
sembles fish roe, and 'musquito pate is
bonnie bouche often found upon fash
ionable tables in the capital,
Father Page, in his Travels" says
that lat one season of the year the In
dams had nets of mail. with the which
they raked off a certain dust that
is bred upon the lake of Mexico They
gathered much of this and kept it in
heaps and made thereof cakes like unto
brickbats. And they did not only sell
this ware in the market, but also sent it
abroad to other fairs and markets afar
off: and they did eat this meal with az
good a stomach as we eat cheese-vea.
AM they hold the opinion that this scum
of fairness of the water is the cause that
such great number of fowl cometh to
the lake, which in the winter season is
infinite.
This was written early in the Seven
.eenth century. and ''infinite" is still the
proper word to designate the number of
Wild fowl that here abound. Emily
Pierce in Outing